Seeing Who He Is
by rinofmidnight
Summary: Sequel to Interview with a Phantom. Jack is having trouble with the strangness over the past week and leaves only to find Phantom will Jack finally be able to see? Or will he be left in the Dark? Don't have to read Interview with Phantom to understand.


_The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. -Henry Boye_

Seeing Who He Is

Something was up. Jack was sure of it, although he wasn't sure what exactly_ it_ was. So, being the eccentric man he was, Jack proceeded to do what he always did in order to problem solve; eat fudge while doing his favorite pastime, needlepoint. Threading the needle Jack began to ponder the events over the past week.

It started from his wife. Jack didn't know what caused it but all of the sudden she seemed more understanding of their archenemy Phantom. And instead of wanting to rip him apart 'molecule by molecule' she insisted on speaking with him about exactly what he was without a Fenton Ecto-DeMolculizer. So far Jack had not allowed this or at least without him present. He was pretty sure Maddie was visiting Phantom anyways and the thought of his wife conversing with that ectoplasmic spook made Jack's skin crawl and his stomach curdle taking with it the desire to eat his delicious fudge. Sighing, Jack sat down the needlepoint only to be horrified as he looked down to the beginnings of the very symbol he had grown to hate.

"Ah, Fudge! I need to get out!"

With this Jack grabbed the Fenton portable bazooka (never know when you'd need one) and headed out the door. Strangely though for a day in April the sky was not blue, but a murky gray, the clouds hiding the sun away, the wind bringing the smell of rain. Jack had always hated the rain for it made you wet, cold, and it got water in his boots, making it nearly impossible for him to move. But the rain also brought more, he didn't know why but as a child the rain had reminded him of graves. For when looking at graves they stole from him the happiness that always seemed to exude from his heart. This is what the rain always promised to bring, death not life, and for Jack it was nearly enough to get him to turn back around and run home.

But he stayed. Continuing on with his walk, the rain wafting through the wind, and soon Jack found himself at the very place Maddie had told him where she met Phantom; the park, standing by the fountain near the oak trees. Anger filled his heart, he knew it was silly but in the passion of the moment Jack let himself get taken up in his hate for Phantom. That ghost child had tricked his wife, was lying to the town, and what was worse was that now here he was standing in the very same place that seemed to be the starting point for all the strangeness in this week and to top it off the wind was picking up and the dampness of the coming rain was now a heavy fog filling up the cloudy sky. So caught up in his passions that Jack missed the first faint cry that issued down the path, until it came again, nothing more than a faint whisper on the wind, cautioning him to stop and listen.

The sound came again and Jack knew exactly what that sound was…the cry of a child. He raced down the path, panic filling his thoughts. 'Why would someone leave their child?' 'Were the parents even looking for their son or daughter?' As fast as these thoughts came all ceased when he reached the small playground, for there floating above the rocks was a small girl. She could be no older than five; her pale blonde hair tied back in pigtails, her green skin contrasting drastically to her purple flower dress, tears flowing down her tiny face. Jack stopped dead, every fiber of his being screamed at him to go and help this little girl; yet his mind screamed that this was a ghost for heaven's sake was he crazy, he shouldn't help her! A ghost that would someday or even right now cause harm to the town, Jack needed to do something. And the very next words that issued from the little girls mouth nearly made the father in him act.

"Daddy?" she sobbed.

"Daddy, where are you?" Her cries were feeble. Needy.

Jack _had_ to go. The rain began to drizzle now. Slowly, he began to make his way towards the little ghost until he heard a gentle brush in the air, the muffled sound of feet stepping onto grass and looking over, there he stood, Phantom. The world stopped. For there was Danny Phantom, evil spook and public enemy number one in Jack's book. But Jack didn't move towards Phantom. He didn't pull out the Fenton bazooka, he didn't yell, he didn't speak, he just stood there, rooted firmly to the spot in the grass by the white oak trees and watched as Phantom walked over to the young little girl who died before her time. So intent Phantom's attention was on the girl that he didn't seem to notice Jack, who came down to reality and proceeded to jump behind the stone benches lining the playground.

The little girl opened her eyes when she felt someone kneel down by her side.

"Daddy?" She hiccupped.

"I'm sorry. I'm not him." Came Phantom's reply his white hair falling in his face.

"Where's daddy? He promised to push me on the swings today. Please, will you help me find Daddy?"

Jack had to restrain the tears that threatened to flow from his eyes. Not only had this little girl died but the reason she remained was because her father had not arrived to play with her and now she was stuck forever wishing to seek her father. Desperately, Jack hoped Phantom would take her to her father and he prayed upon seeing him maybe the little girl would find peace.

"I'm sorry. I can't help you look."

Jack stared wide eyed. Phantom wasn't going to help her, he was going to leave her! Fatherly rage filled him and he was just about to whip out the bazooka and fire it when suddenly the wind gave a frightening howl and the little girls golden yellow eyes turned to crimson red.

"I WANT DADDY!" She yelled, the wind answering her cries.

"He Promised Me!"

"He…"

"ENOUGH." The command broke through the wind, through the rain, red turned to yellow as the little girl stared up to the one who spoke it.

"But daddy…" she whimpered trying again.

"You cannot see him, Elle."

And with this Jack watched Elle break down into sobs clinging to Phantoms form as he swooped her up into his arms. It was a frightening sight to see. Not because here were two ghosts both powerful enough to cause serious damage to Amity Park, no, what was frightening was the tone of voice Phantom had used to calm Elle. The very same tone Jack himself had used when Danny was but a child. The voice which held no malice, no condemnation, just strength a father used to make a child stop and listen. Phantom wouldn't take this girl to her father and in many ways Jack understood why. For if he took her, Elle would not want to leave and the family she left behind would never be allowed solace. Silently, he watched Phantom rock the child in his arms.

"Why can I not go to Daddy?"

"Because it is time to go." Phantom cooed.

"Where will I go?" Elle whispered fearfully, her yellow orbs gazing up in wide innocence at Phantom, taking in his very presence, even if he was soaked from the rain.

He turned his gaze to her, a mischievous look filling his brilliant eyes.

"Now why would I want to ruin the surprise?" He said lifting her high above his head, Elle gave a squeal of delight.

"Are you coming too?" she asked.

"I can't, but here," Phantom answered and he held out his hand and an ice prism formed in his palms, slowly he held it up into the sky, his white aura surrounding it causing a rainbow to form in and out of the drizzling rain.

"Whenever you feel sad or alone, look to this and know that I promise your Daddy will be safe and that one day he will come home." Phantom said lowering the crystal placing it in the Elle's small hands.

"I'm going home?" she asked.

"Yes. Now it's time to go."

A flash of lightening flew across the sky, the little girls eyes meeting it, then smiling she looked back down to the one still holding her to life. She smiled and gave Phantom a hug and he released her to join the lightning's shine as she herself disappeared into golden light.

For the longest while Jack merely sat there, knees numb, watching Phantom stare up at the still raining sky. Slowly he stood, shock clear on his face as he made his way towards the unmoving teen.

"How did you know?" Jack asked the simple question causing Phantom to jump ten feet in the air before he realized who had addressed him but he never quite made it back to the ground in case Jack decided to use the bazooka resting on his shoulder.

"How did I know what?" Phantom questioned.

"That her name was Elle?" Jack asked his question coming out more a statement. Phantom tilted his head, curiosity on his face.

"Did you not see the news? Elle died last Tuesday from an asthma attack when her father left to go and put his briefcase in the car. The other parents didn't know what to do."

"I know that. But how did you know she would still be here as a ghost?"

"I just did. When something that traumatic happens to a kid, you want your parents there. If only to explain the pain away."

Again this statement caught Jack off guard.

"Did you?"

"Yes, I wanted them there." Phantom said his eyes seeming to glaze over at some memory Jack couldn't see.

"Were they?" Jack asked, fearing what the answer would be.

"No. But I wasn't alone and Elle didn't need to be either."

"Where did she go?" Jack asked.

"Home."

"You sent her back to the Ghost Zone? But there are no portals around?"

Phantom scoffed at this. "Do you really think that's what I mean? Why would I want to send her there? That's not her home."

"Then where is she?"

"I told you, she's home." Phantom stated in exasperation.

"No, if she's not in the Ghost Zone then she must be here. You lying spook! You just set her loose on our town. I knew it! You're nothing but a…"

"Enough!" Phantom commanded. And Jack immediately fell silent, he hadn't heard that kind of tone in almost forty years when he was still a ten year old boy.

"I told you she's home. Why can you not trust me on that?"

"Because what you're giving me isn't an answer." Jack stated frowning.

Phantom sighed and when he looked up to meet his eyes, Jack could see all of it, all the wisdom this teen possessed.

"Listen, have you ever given your children answers that you knew were truth but at the same time didn't know the answers yourself? That's what I did. Because if I hadn't Elle would have remained here stuck in her death, each passing moment driving her mad with loneliness and pain until she would lash out at those around her, injuring and possibly killing them. I couldn't let that happen. But I wasn't about to send her back to the Ghost Zone where she would learn of her death and possibly never be given the chance to move on to another place. Especially since the poor girl didn't even know she was dead!"

As Phantom finished speaking Jack couldn't help but take in the fatherly tone of his voice. He sounded like a father. Like Jack.

"Phantom, do you have a child?" Jack asked for he vaguely remembered his wife speaking of another ghost at one point visiting her and Phantom wearing similar getup, complete with white hair and glowing green eyes. This caused a blush to spread from the tip of Phantom's ears all the way to his neck where a small part was still visible to the eyes.

"Well, sort of, it's really complicated." He said chuckling nervously while he rubbed the back of his neck.

It was then that Jack's eyes were opened. Here stood not an ectoplasmic piece of scum, not the evil spook that at one point was believed to have terrorized the town, neither stood the current hero of Amity Park, nor stood a ghost, all that stood here was a teenager with the eyes of a father. All that stood here was Danny Phantom. And in that moment Jack knew that he had been seeing Phantom wrong all along.

"Danny," Jack said startling the ghost once again only this time by calling him his first name.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry. For what I couldn't see or what I refused to see. I am truly sorry."

This earned Jack a brilliant smile from the young ghost reminding Jack again that this was still a teen and also a dad.

"That's okay. Besides I'm pretty good at hiding who I am." Danny stated.

Even though Jack should have been worried over this statement. That Danny had admitted to the fact that he could have been faking this moment all along; Jack wasn't afraid. He knew what he had witnessed wasn't a lie and what he had seen could not be unseen therefore, Jack refused to worry over what had been said. A silence filled the air between them the steady rain slowly turning back into a drizzle.

"I still don't know if I can fully trust you though." Jack replied.

"That's okay. I'm told that I take some getting used to." Danny replied easily at which Jack couldn't help the small disappointment that crept into his heart.

"But I am willing to meet you half way."

And Jack looked down at the ghost boy he couldn't help the flutter his heart gave, Danny told him that he was still willing to give Jack a chance.

"As am I." Jack stated knowing that when he got home he would be owing his wife a huge apology and that he would be finishing that certain needlepoint symbol he had started when he left.

After all, he and Danny Phantom had just met half way.


End file.
